Cost-effective Gluing of Silicone Release Liners and Tear Strips on Shipping Packaging

Shipping packages can be conveniently opened and resealed for return shipping using silicone release liners and tear strips. Consumers are pleased. The placement of silicone release liners and tear aids using hot melt adhesive application is simple and cost-effective. Robatech offers an efficient adhesive application solution that can be flexibly adjusted to different formats and substrates. The integration into folding box gluers or mailing bag machines is surprisingly easy.

Megatrend e-commerce Poses New Challenges for Shipping Packaging

Shipping packaging, padded envelopes, and envelopes with silicone release liner are particularly popular. Who is not familiar with it: peel off the protective paper strip, seal it, and done. The megatrend e-commerce, meaning online shopping, has increased the demand for shipping packaging with the possibility of easy sealing and suitability for return shipping. Returns are not uncommon: with online-ordered textiles or shoes, the return rate is 50 percent or more. Depending on the requirements, one or two silicone release liners are applied and usually a tear strip for easy opening.

A widespread solution for self-adhesive closures is double-sided adhesive tape. However, this is costly in procurement and further processing. Adhesive tape rolls have to be replaced at short intervals and thus constantly cause machine downtimes and increased operating effort. Furthermore, the silicone strip is tough to peel and can lead to dissatisfaction of the shipper later on.

Adhesive Application Solutions for Silicone Release Liners and Tear Strips

Silicone release liners and tear strips can be applied cost-effectively and efficiently to a wide variety of shipping packages, such as shipping boxes, corrugated envelopes, courier bags, and envelopes, using Robatech’s adhesive application solutions. It does not matter whether these are made of corrugated cardboard, solid cardboard, paper, or film.

Different system configurations are used for the application of silicone release liners and tear strips. Both work with PSA adhesive.

Single or double silicone release liners are placed using one or two FK IT 18 coating nozzles. The JumboFlex 50 or 100 melter provides the necessary melting and delivery capacity for a uniform surface application.
A smaller amount of adhesive is required for the application of tear strips than for silicone release liners. This is why the smaller FK IT 10 coating nozzle and the Concept 8 melter are used.

The adhesive application systems glue energy-efficiently and reliably, keeping your operating costs low. Thanks to open interfaces and standardized Fieldbus protocols, the application solutions can be easily integrated into existing and new systems. Control is flexible:

via the folding box gluer or mailing bag machine
via the silicone strip applicator
stand-alone via the Robatech melter

The Right Silicone Release Liner for Your Substrate

The application of silicone release liners to shipping packaging depends on the respective substrate.

Is your shipping packaging made of corrugated cardboard, solid cardboard, or paper?
In this case, the adhesive for the silicone release liner is applied directly to the substrate.

Do you make shipping pouches from PE film, OPP film, or PLA film?
These materials are sensitive to heat, and the adhesive application heads are hot. For this reason, the adhesive is applied directly to the silicone paper. The finished silicone release liner is then placed on the substrate.

Silicone Release Liners for Shipping Packaging Made of Cardboard or Paper

In the first step, a coating nozzle applies a precise, narrow strip of PSA hot melt adhesive to the lid flap or the lid of a package. In the second step, an applicator (partner company) places a silicone paper on the applied hotmelt strip with millimeter precision. The silicone strip is slightly wider and longer than the applied adhesive. This has two advantages:

Retailers and consumers can easily grasp and peel off the silicone strip. This clearly distinguishes the PSA silicone release liner from double-sided adhesive tape, which does not offer this convenience.
Manufacturers and retailers can be confident that stacked packages with silicone release liner will not stick to one another because the silicone strip completely covers the adhesive strip.

Silicone Release Liners for Shipping Packaging Made of Cardboard or Paper

Silicone Release Liners for Heat-sensitive Shipping Packaging

In the case of shipping pouches made of film, a coating nozzle applies a narrow strip of PSA hotmelt to the unwinding silicone strip. The adhesive is applied intermittently so that adhesive-free gaps are created. Next, the silicone strip is glued on the continuous film. Later, both materials are cut at one of the adhesive-free gaps, and the shipping pouch is finished.

The silicone strip is slightly wider and longer than the applied adhesive. This allows retailers and consumers to easily grasp and peel off the silicone strip to seal the pouch.
Due to the adhesive-free gaps, the blade does not contact the adhesive when cutting silicone strip and film and remains clean. This prevents unscheduled machine downtimes.

Silicone Release Liners for Heat-sensitive Shipping Packaging

Fast Adhesive Application and Self-adhesive Closures with Good Adhesion

Robatech’s adhesive application solutions produce high-quality silicone release liners.

The integrated quantity control ensures that the correct amount of adhesive is applied depending on the substrate and use. Unlike double-sided adhesive tape, this guarantees proper adhesion when changing formats.
Automatic length adaptation using trigger sensors controls the application length. Regardless of the packaging format, the length of the adhesive application is always correct.
Robatech achieves precise adhesive application with clean cut-off even at high machine speeds of up to 240 m/min.

Tear Strip attached with Hot Melt Adhesive for Shipping Packaging

Do you want your shipping packaging to have a practical tear strip? Then it depends on what your packaging is made of:

In the case of cardboard packaging and envelopes, a coating application head applies an approx. 2.5 mm wide hotmelt strip directly to the substrate. Then, an applicator (partner company) precisely applies the tear strip to the PSA hotmelt strip.

In the case of shipping pouches made of film, the adhesive is applied intermittently to the narrow tear strip - accurately and with the utmost precision. The glued tear strip is then continuously applied to the film.

Adhesive Application Systems for Silicone Release Liners and Tear Strips - Advantages at a Glance

Straightforward system integration into existing and new systems
Low operating costs thanks to energy-efficient and reliable application system
High-quality silicone release liners and tear aids thanks to the precise and uniform adhesive application even at high speeds
Precise placement of silicone strip and tear strip
Easy format changeover and adhesive quantity adjustment
Local contact through a worldwide network of sales and service teams

Downloads

Process Sheet Silicone Release Liner